Pujols strikes fear in Astros

Astros manager Cecil Cooper isn’t too full of himself to deny that he dreads seeing St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols at the plate against the Astros.

For that reason, Cooper plans to be very careful with Pujols during the three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Pujols has hit 30 home runs in his career against the Astros, and that doesn’t include the postseason, three-run homer that you might remember against Brad Lidge in Game 5 of the 2005 National League Championship Series.

Pujols has six postseason home runs against the Astros.

Cooper considers Pujols the most feared batter in baseball, which is why he hopes to be extra careful with a slugger who has punished the Astros many times in the past.

Steve Ueckert: Chronicle

Albert Pujols rounds the bases after his homer off Brad Lidge in Game 5 of the 2005 National League Championship Series.

“I have no doubt,” Cooper said. “If I have to walk him in the first inning, he gets walked in the first inning, simple. The last time we played them at home there was never an opportunity. Get an opportunity, it’s done.”

Pujols hit two home runs to help beat the Astros 6-4 at Minute Maid Park on April 9.

“He’s beat us up,” Cooper said. “It seems like every time we play him he gets a homer. I’ll bet we’re right up there if we’re not at the top (of the teams Pujols has the most home runs against). He might not do it in the first couple of games but he always seems to get one or two. This guy can hurt you so many ways.”

Cooper said he wishes there was a solid approach to pitch to Pujols, but he cannot think of many.

“If you look at ways to pitch him, there’s no real way to pitch to him,” he said. “You’ve just got to mix it up and hope he’s off that day or has a bad swing or something because he takes his base-hits to right when you pitch him away and he takes his base-hits to left. He takes what you give him.”

For that reason, Pujols strikes fear in the Astros and other opponents.

“Watch it when he walks up there, he’s got such a presence about him and you’re not even throwing it to him,” he said. “Hhe can hurt you just by standing in the on-deck circle. We’ve got one of those guys (Lance Berkman), too.

“They can affect the game and they don’t even have to get a hit. We need about eight of those guys in the lineup. We’ll be careful with him, that’s for sure. We’ll pitch to him if there’s nobody on, but we can’t let him, we just can’t. He’s too dangerous of a guy.”

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And for those of you wondering, Brandon Backe and Cooper say they’ve moved on from the confrontation Pujols and Backe had on April 9.

As far as Brandon Backe is concerned, he is past the dustup he and St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols had at Minute Maid Park on April 9. Manager Cecil Cooper said he also hopes the issue can be put to rest.

“It’s absolutely over with,” Backe said. “I don’t care about any of it to be talked about or brought up. It’s over.”

Added Cooper: “I have no concerns about it. Zero. And I don’t think Pujols does, and I don’t think Brandon does, so that’s where I’m leaving it.”